Uncovering Adventure in Maine's Southern Coast | National Geographic

When you're visiting Maine, you can't help but fall in love with this place. You feel connected to nature. No matter what you're doing, you feel this tie to the water and the ocean. Whether you’re traveling on it, eating something from it, or just enjoying the view of it. When I'm here, for whatever reason, it feels like all my senses are somehow even sharper. It's all so vivid in Maine.

Maine is one of the most welcoming places I have ever visited. You feel like you’re a part of the community. My name is Michael George, and I'm a National Geographic Photographer. And this is Maine's Southern coast. When you think of Maine, you probably think of a bright red lobster. It is so tied to the history and also the modern experience of visiting Maine. I really enjoy getting to know where my food comes from and seeing that process. And I have the opportunity to go out with a third-generation lobster fisherman and see exactly how it's done.

“Hey, nice to meet you guys.” There was so much I learned while on the boat. Every buoy is a different color and it’s based on the family who owns it. “Thank you, yeah!” Within a really short driving distance of Portland, you can escape fully into nature. One example of that is Wolfe’s Neck Woods State Park. Where you have really beautiful woodlands, but as you're going through, it breaks open to this beautiful coast.

I’m meeting with ranger Andy. He's worked at this place for 40 years, so he knows every inch of this state park. “We're about to walk up to one of our osprey nests. There’s her nest marsh, and that’s mom up on the edge.” There are really amazing contrasts to be found in a small stretch of coastline. You have these really fascinating rock formations, and just down the road you have beautiful sandy beaches. I especially loved capturing the portraits of the locals that tell a story.

“It’s my home. This is in my soul. The people, the culture, the history.... I couldn't imagine living anywhere else.” I really sense the importance of community in Maine, and one great example of that is Burundi Star Coffee. The coffee is incredible. “Thank you so much.” “What makes Burundi Coffee unique is the soil.” “We opened in March 2020.” “Oh my gosh! What a time!” “We survived because of Maine’s community.”

Maine, it’s a place where you can start dreaming again. It’s a place that gives hope. In Portland, no matter where you are, you can see and feel the presence of water. I want to feel connected to the water the way locals do, so I’ve come to Portland Paddle to experience that. “Well, the Maine coastline is very unique because we have thousands of islands to explore. People have been living on this coast for thousands of years, and you can see that history as you paddle throughout the coast. And really, like a sea kayakers paradise.”

And there’s places that are really only accessible by kayak. “Fort Gorges is a Civil War era fort. It was built in 1858.” Walking in… It's a sense of awe and wonder, and you see nature has taken it back partially, but that just adds to the allure of the space. “It actually never was under fire, but it's still very serviceable for a place to play.” There are thousands of islands off the coast of Maine. There are so many ways to travel within those islands.

One particularly fun option is the mailboat tour, and that is the boat that literally brings mail to the people who live on these islands. Watching these islands go by, you'll see small representations of how much community is out here. As a photographer, you're always searching for special moments. And you can’t create them; you really have to find them.

There's a special excitement when you know it's happening. I arrived at Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse right at sunset, when the light was just incredibly stunning. You feel that connection to nature, and also the sense of community here in Maine.